How small protein tags (ISG15 and ATG12) help cells handle stress
Official title: Discovery of Novel Mechanisms of Action of Ubiquitin-Like Proteins in Cellular Stress Pathways
Funded at National Jewish Health · NIH-11331432 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how two small protein tags, ISG15 and ATG12, change cell behavior during stress in ways that matter for people with cancer, autoimmune, or neurodegenerative diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | National Jewish Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Denver, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2020 |
| Project end | January 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $456,500 |
| NIH project number | 2R35GM137961-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11331432 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with cancer, autoimmune disorders, or neurodegenerative diseases who can provide tissue or blood samples or enroll in related observational studies would be the most relevant participants.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy volunteers or patients whose conditions do not involve cellular stress pathways and who cannot provide samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit.
What this research studies
The team uses advanced proteomics (protein-mapping) methods to find which proteins get tagged by ISG15 and ATG12 during cellular stress. They will map these tags across many targets and study how tagging changes the activity of key regulators like mTOR, which controls autophagy (the cell's cleanup process). Work includes experiments in cell models and analysis of relevant biological samples to build a detailed post-translational modification map. This molecular roadmap is intended to point toward mechanisms that could be targeted in disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new biomarkers or drug targets that lead to better treatments for cancers, autoimmune illnesses, and neurodegenerative diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Proteomics approaches have successfully mapped ubiquitin-related pathways before, but the specific roles of ISG15 and ATG12 are less well understood and remain a relatively novel area.
Where this research is happening
-
National Jewish Health
Denver, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Radoshevich, Lilliana — National Jewish Health
- Study coordinator: Radoshevich, Lilliana
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.